Aug 16, 2011 11:15 AM
26165 Views
Please note that this review of Airtel prepaid mobile services is concerned with Kerala and I am not quite sure about their services outside the circle.
Airtel has been my preferred network for eight years. But of these eight years, I had been in Uae for five; only using Airtel occasionally when I come here for vacation. But since I have to stay back for an year, I had chosen my loyal partner Airtel and was happy that they had a sack full of attractive offers on local STD and even ISD charges. So I hadn’t quite thought about changing the provider although there are more than those I can count.
But then I needed 3g and since Airtel had not at that time started 3G in Kerala, I switched to Vodafone through portability. I am pretty satisfied with their charges and more than satisfied with their customer service (Vodafone). But then Airtel came up with 3G and I thought about switching back for the offers.
But before I go into that. Let me tell you something about my relationship with Airtel before I got to Vodafone.
Airtel does work magic. (I like the old caption “Magic hai to mumkin hai” because its sheer magic that your balance gets deducted in 40s and 30s for no reason at all. So I almost know divya, vidya, rajesh, Mahesh, sateesh and gautam because I call almost every day fighting for my money. Now talking about customer care –
They sound like the best - most friendly and understanding customer care while they are in truth the most fraudulent of the whole lot. I call them saying that they took my money for nothing and I get transferred 2895 times in a single call which I have to pay and then they make us call 200 more calls for the same problem and then give your money back after you have spent the same 40 or 30 on those stupid customer cares.
Here are two incidents for you
One when I cancelled friends chat. I cancelled it and about a month and a half later they took a 30 from me for the service. I called them up and complained. They did the usual transfers, complaint codes and then I was being sweet so it went for some time. They told me on every call that they will check and they could not see me having cancelled anything. Then they tried my patience and I started cursing and the same woman who said she couldn’t see any cancellations suddenly found out that I had and gave my money back.
Then once I charged 145 for gulf offer for seconds billing on calls to gulf. Then there was a 44 for the same about two months later and I charged that. I called gulf and it turns out that they were taking my money as for regular calls. It went to a war for a week and then I got my money back
Then GPRS – said I could pay 125 or something and have GPRS unlimited for a month. I did that and one week later I found out that I was being charged for my usage. It turns out that 125 is not an unlimited package and is unlimited only from 9 at night to morning. And it is the 97 pack that is unlimited. I had asked and charges at an Airtel customer relations office. And guys can anyone explain it to me how 125 can be limited and 97 unlimited??? And why I was told that 125 were unlimited?? However that went into another war.
But the change to Vodafone had been purely on the basis of the availability of 3G. But since I decided to use BSNL broadband (which is the best, I decided to switch back to Airtel but before that I thought I would run a query on 3 G. So I called from my mom’s phone which is Airtel and asked them about 3G.The guy asked me to send a message as 3G to a number he gave. He assured me that I would get all the details including the charges. I did that and suddenly 3g was activated on her phone. And no details. I asked them for info and not activation why can’t they just give do what the customer asks. Airtel is pure fraud. That’s all I think about them.
The comparisons below has been made on the basis of Vodafone
Signal - Medium, cuts out completely at some places whereas since I have had Vodafone I have never had a moment without a signal
Clarity – Very Good (even when the call is from a pc)
Offers – Outstanding (but makes you lose 4 for every 2 you save) while Vodafone without the offers give you free sms as well as calls at 1p/s
Customer care – As I said sugar coated rubbish
GPRS – slow compared to Vodafone – you are forced to stare at the loading sign for an hour (I have not yet got my BSNL and still I use gtalk through Vodafone GPRS without any breaks //audio only//)
Card recharged give you more balance than Vodafone
Hello tune services expensive than Vodafone
Portability employs charges while Vodafone does it free of cost.
Btw I got a real sweet call from Airtel, the day I left them, the best customer call from Airtel I have ever got
If you like losing money for nothing and if you are ok with fighting every day and that too paying for it – let me tell you – Airtel might just suit you!!
But honestly I remember Airtel as the best service provider during my college days - the cheapest and the most wonderful customer care that I had almost fell in love with them ... the change to Bharti sucks.... its since that change Airtel has lost her brilliance... hope they find it back and hope they do it soon before they become another "idea"
